Chemicals and toxins are the last thing you want to feed your garden plants with. The market offers thousands of chemical-based pesticides and fertilizers.
Although these are super cheap, they’re definitely bad for the environment, not to mention their detrimental effect on health. Vinegar is the right option for gardeners who look for an eco-friendly product that’s both affordable and safe.
White distilled vinegar has numerous uses in the garden. You’ll be surprised to learn more about its real power. You can find it in every store, and again, it’s cheap and safe for you and your family.
Top 12 uses of white vinegar in the garden:
- Deter cats and pests
Rodents, moles, dogs, cats, and rabbits hate the smell of vinegar. So, if your neighbor’s cat loves your garden or any sand pit you have for your children, just spray pure white vinegar around the area, and you will never ever see a cat near your home.
Try soaking old clothes in vinegar, and hanging it on stakes around the garden. Add more vinegar after every rain.
- Your clay pots will never be dirty again
Clay pots are amazing since they keep the soil moist, and protect the roots during hot summer days. Let’s not forget the fact that these make your garden look beautiful.
But, clay pots tend to absorb minerals, calcium, and salt from the water and the fertilizers which makes them look unattractive. But, white vinegar will help you make your clay pots look bright and clean again. Here’s what you should do.
- Scrub the crusty residues from the pots
- Dip the pots in 20-25 percent vinegar solution which would be a cup of 5% vinegar to 3-4 cups of water. Leave them in the solution for half an hour
- If you can still notice some residues, wipe them off using undiluted vinegar
- Repel ants
White vinegar is the best organic insecticide. Spray the affected areas, and ants will disappear in no time. Spray again after few days, and you will never ever see an ant in that spot.
- Remove weeds
Spray pure white vinegar on your walls or walkways to get rid of weeds. Your garden will look neat and awesome.
- Enjoy cut flowers longer than usual
Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and a teaspoon of sugar in one-quart vase. Put your flowers in this solution, and change it every 3-5 days. This solution is some sort of “food” for your flowers.
- Get rid of weeds
White vinegar is one of the most efficient “anti-weed” products.
- Add a cup of salt, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and two tablespoons of dish soap in a gallon of 5% white vinegar
- Stir well, and transfer the liquid into a sprayer
- Spray the weed in your garden
- Get rid of garden insects
Combine three parts of water, one part of vinegar and a teaspoon of dishwashing agent into a sprayer. Shake the content, and spray your garden.
- Get rid of fruit flies
The following solution will help you protect your fruits:
- Combine half a cup of apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of molasses, a cup of water, and a quarter cup of sugar
- Transfer the liquid into a container of your choice, and hang it on your fruit tree
- Fruit flies will “attack” the liquid, and get trapped in
- This solution works for household flies, too
- Refresh acid loving plants
White vinegar will make your rhododendrons, gardenias or azaleas happy. Add a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water, and water these plants. You will be amazed of their growth.
- Remove rust from garden tools
Use undiluted vinegar on your tools. Spray them with the vinegar or just dip them in it for a few minutes. All you have to do next is rinse them well.
- Fight fungus
If your plants don’t grow well or have dark spots on their stems and leaves, they’re probably dealing with a fungus or mold. White vinegar will help you get rid of these.
Add 2 teaspoons of vinegar to brewed chamomile tea. Spray the mixture on your plants, and watch them become more vivid.
Roses require different technique.
Add 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar to 4 liters of water. Spray your roses to get rid of the fungus.
- Kill slugs and snails
White vinegar will keep slugs and snails away from your garden which is why its gardeners’ favorite “anti-snail” product.
Seed germination
Use white vinegar to germinate seeds. You can also use it on okra, asparagus, moonflowers, glories, and other seeds that don’t germinate easily.
First, rub the seeds using coarse sandpaper. Do this the night before you plant them. Make a solution using 500ml of warm water, 125 ml of vinegar and a squirt of washing-up liquid. Soak your seeds in it. Plant your seeds the next day, and enjoy watching them grow.
